


Mutualism

by Alethia



Series: Starting to Finish [7]
Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: F/M, Kissing, Ocean, Scuba Diving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-24
Updated: 2004-07-24
Packaged: 2018-01-11 16:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alethia/pseuds/Alethia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sun, salt, sea, and Calleigh. Pretty much perfect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mutualism

**Author's Note:**

> Mutualism: the relationship between algae and coral. Both are helped and neither is harmed. Originally posted on LJ [here](http://alethialia.livejournal.com/84213.html).

They rented a boat and equipment for Calleigh. She’d braided her hair in a ponytail, so it wouldn’t get in the way and Eric couldn’t help but think how cute she looked, all decked out in a wet suit that didn’t belong to her, trying to look like she knew what she was doing.

Not that she didn’t, but it didn’t come naturally. Couldn’t, considering she didn’t dive all the time. Still cute, though. He couldn’t help the little hint of satisfaction that she would make the effort, the warmth spilling through him at knowing she was even a little bit excited to go diving with him.

The sight of Calleigh in a skin-tight wet suit didn’t hurt, either.

And he was finally getting to use some of the scuba gear his sister let go to waste. It was one thing to try and emulate your cool older brother, but Eric felt vaguely guilty about his parents spending money on her hobby, only to watch as she dropped it just as quickly. Teenagers.

Oh, well. He would put it to good use now, and that made him feel a little better. Because he knew the ScubaPro equipment and trusted it and with that, at least, he wouldn’t have to worry about Calleigh.

Small consolation when he thought of how many things could go wrong. But, no. He wasn’t gonna go there.

He’d chosen The Rock Pile off the Miami coast for a bunch of reasons, but really because it would be interesting and relatively easy. Visibility would be good today and they’d stay in the first tier. He didn’t feel comfortable bringing Calleigh below thirty feet anyway, so it was one of his better options.

Maybe if she got more experience, he could take her out deeper, maybe even some night dives. But it probably wasn’t a good idea to go there because they hadn’t even gone out on their first dive and it was so possible Calleigh would hate it.

Not probable, but he was a scientist. Anything was possible.

Eric breathed in, content. He loved the smell of the ocean. He really did. Even before he’d lost his hope for the Games he’d always loved diving. Maybe it was fate that he had to fall back on it, then, but he couldn’t manage to be bitter about it. Because even if the job was kind of gory sometimes, he still got to come out here and see this—sunlight sparkling off blue waves, the tang of salt in the air, and a girl with a blonde braid standing next to him, smiling serenely.

Pretty much perfection. 

Once they got out to a good spot he tried to help her with her equipment, but the minute he reminded her about popping her ears he got a patented Calleigh, what-do-you-think-I’m-stupid? glare and he left it at that. Checked her equipment surreptitiously, just in case. You never knew when things would go wrong and, well, he’d never forgive himself if something happened.

Made her turn her head before they got in the water, just in case. He was using a swivel and he wanted her to get used to it, make sure there wasn’t gonna be a problem with the G500. Because, well, your air hose disappearing in the middle of a dive? Not the most fun thing ever.

He should know.

“Your range of motion okay?” he asked, watching just in case she felt like she needed to prove something to him. She really didn’t, but he couldn’t seem to get this through to her.

“It’s fine, Eric. Stop mothering me.”

“You need to be mothered,” said with a charming smile and she just rolled her eyes, putting her mask on and looking at him pointedly.

Everything seemed in order and he was satisfied, finally dropping back into the water on instinct, swimming down, knowing Calleigh would follow him. Felt the fond recognition of a reunion with a longtime friend, that eerie, ever-moving stillness surrounding him, pressing in against his skin, and he let it slide over him, that barely contained violence with such a gentle touch. Calleigh seemed to be reveling in it, as well, flitting here and there, Eric content to swim lazily after her and just feel.

Couldn’t help but feel her, too, here in this world beyond their world. Just a slight graze of hands over a thigh, touching her arm to point out the foot-long Bandtail Pufferfish, irate at their intrusion, that magnificent branching coral, reaching for something and nothing all at the same time. Innocent touches, all of them, made more so by the wet suits they were wearing and the oxygen tanks strapped to their backs.

But at the same time, not. Something inherently sensual in being underwater and Eric felt it pulse through him like the barely leashed energy that flowed through their surroundings. Knew Calleigh could feel it, too, by the way she wasn’t pushing him away, wasn’t keeping that oh-so-chilly three feet of personal space perfectly intact. Five feet when it came to Eric, recently, but she was touching him back, slim hand on his shoulder and for Calleigh that was—that was a lot.

Swift dart beside him and she was out in front, turning in the water and swimming efficiently, no wasted motion in evidence, slowly approaching a brilliant blue and gold Queen Angelfish. Apparently it found Calleigh just as interesting and paused to size her up, swimming lazily around her before approving of her presence and wandering off. 

And even Eric was amused by the Nurse Shark that seemed to have wedged itself in a crevice. Tried to pull it out, not that that worked. Got distracted by Calleigh again and left it alone.

Eric couldn’t help but smile around his mouthpiece at the sight she made, all sleek and dark, lithe in a black suit and monochromatic but for that long braid trailing after her wherever she swam.

He explored some of the wildlife, himself, getting a special thrill at finding a few Cleaner Shrimp hiding inside an Anemone. Eric held out his hand, slowly, close, and one of the shrimp came out to investigate, eventually picking off some dead skin. 

Unbelievable how this entire system worked to sustain itself and it was so gorgeous in its perfect equilibrium and _this_ was why he came out here. Looked over to find Calleigh watching, that stillness surrounding her even in the midst of such motion, watching as the underwater world went on with its business.

Kind of amazing.

He pulled his hand back, the shrimp going back into hiding, and swam off, Calleigh by his side, pointing out the lobsters that were brave enough to peek out from their hiding spots. Eric couldn’t imagine not having this, not having Calleigh here, with him, and he was glad she was enjoying herself, just for purely selfish reasons.

Because he wanted her to come back and slither after a Chain Moray Eel, pick up a conch, startling when she found it was still alive. Couldn’t imagine her anywhere but beside him…and didn’t really want to.

Like that, under there, an hour seemed like minutes and it was too soon that he realized they had to go up, were running out of oxygen. Felt that telltale thrill at her obvious reticence for the same, Calleigh now trailing behind where Eric led.

Broke through the surface and pulled off mask and mouthpiece, grinning at the breathless look on Calleigh’s face as she did the same. Lazily swam the short distance to the boat, only reluctantly getting out of the water.

And it really said something that Calleigh didn’t even comment when Eric helped pull her back into the boat, dripping and grinning and radiant.

“That was amazing!” Said through honest shock, dropping gear unceremoniously and how had he resisted taking her along before now? Tried to imagine a time when he didn’t know this look and it was…impossible.

Eric knew he wouldn’t be going on these swims alone anymore. And even though he kind of liked the solitude that he only found in the water—certainly never at home—he couldn’t regret its loss. Because that loss meant this gain and he couldn’t resist Calleigh smiling at him like that, and maybe eventually she would smile like that for him, and not for anything else.

Could always dream, anyway.

“Yeah,” he laughed, tossing her a towel and a bottle of water. “Drink all of that. Don’t want to get dehydrated.” Quickly changed subjects, before he got chastised for ‘mothering’ again. “I’m surprised you’ve never come out with me before.”

She flopped down with uncharacteristic flair and drank absently, still practically vibrating where she sat. “If you’d have told me it was going to be like _that_ I would have said yes a long time ago. Did you see that fish that swam around me?”

“A Queen Angelfish. And like I could explain that,” he said with a gentle smile, indicating the depths, now murky where once they’d been so clear.

She nodded in understanding, wiggling her toes and wrinkling her nose and so damn cute he couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh at her antics. Maybe it was the oxygen deprivation, maybe it was dehydration, but he liked this Calleigh, all easy smiles and bubbling excitement.

But even that couldn’t distract him from the discomfort of the suit, already hot and sticking to him under the Florida sun, even at this time of year. Pulled down the zipper and peeled it off his chest, liking the feel of the sun on his skin, liking Calleigh’s eyes there even more.

They couldn’t do this in the lab, that much was certain. 

And here she seemed willing to let herself look, gaze prickling along his spine as he moved around, rearranging their equipment, getting everything ready for the ride back. And, okay, maybe he was showing off a little bit, but he hardly ever got to be alone with Calleigh—in private—and he couldn’t be blamed if he wanted to make a little bit of an impression.

God knew she did, and with nothing more than a flick of that long blonde hair.

“We should probably get back soon,” Eric said reluctantly, looking up at the sun, judging the time. 

“I suppose. Ugh, I’m hot.”

“Yeah, that wet suit probably doesn’t help,” he replied with a grin she couldn’t see but could definitely _hear_ , grabbing a couple more bottles of water from their cooler.

Eric only turned back when he heard that telltale zip of a zipper coming down and the sight of Calleigh so effortlessly and carelessly stripping off that wetsuit was enough to make his jaw drop. Because, _damn_ , he never even got to see her legs, much less all the skin required to be on display when Calleigh was in a bathing suit. She’d made him turn around when he was putting it on, and if he weren’t so dumbfounded he’d probably be laughing about that.

And he thought he was showing off? He was an _amateur_ compared to this and she wasn’t even trying. Or maybe she was and he couldn’t tell? Because all his experience was useless here and it wasn’t like his pressure gauge or his old-school handheld computer were giving him anything.

Eric only realized he’d been staring when Calleigh rolled her eyes and threw her wet suit at his head. Which he deftly caught and dropped because anything that was obstructing his view of that ought to be drawn and quartered in his opinion.

Not that that would hurt the wet suit, but that wasn’t his point.

Did he have a point?

Still looking at long lines and curves that he wanted to explore for hours—taste, trace, _know_ —and he could tell it was making Calleigh a little uncomfortable, slight hunch in her shoulders saying he’d gone too long without doing anything, because underneath it all—and Eric now had a pretty good idea just what exactly was under there—Calleigh was still wanting some kind of approval.

“You…are gorgeous,” he breathed, watching the beginnings of the flush. Grabbed a still-tense hand and pulled her forward, against him, skin on skin and wasn’t this what he’d wanted for so long now? Wasn’t gonna give her time to protest all the manhandling before he twisted a hand around that enticing braid and pulled her mouth to his, brushing lips softly at first—once, twice—waiting for the objection that never came. 

“Eric,” murmured and on anyone else that would be encouragement. 

And he wasn’t going to give up a chance like that, so he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him, lips coaxing, nipping at her bottom lip, enticing, until she finally responded, hands sliding up his back and gripping his shoulders, skin burning along his and feeling so good, lips pliant and moving, small flick of tongue all it took to turn the kiss shocking in its intensity, heat.

Because it wasn’t oxygen deprivation, it wasn’t dehydration, it wasn’t heatstroke and Calleigh Duquesne was _kissing him back_ , tongue twining with his own, hand in his hair now and making the hottest breathy little noises in the back of her throat, nails of her other hand scraping down his back, eliciting a groan that even he’d never heard before, low and rough like something hurt but still _wanting_ all the same.

Taste of salt and sea and what he’d already come to identify as Calleigh, and this, this was never gonna be something she could hide in a box, keep to herself, because it was too much all at once and Eric had never felt passion like this, something built so slowly over so long he never even noticed that it was there until she whimpered in the back of her throat and gave in. 

Fingers just under the edge of her bathing suit, feeling the softness of her back, rubbing, intoxicating rhythm, familiar yet, like one they’d just left and Eric made sure he remembered this, because it didn’t happen every day and it hurt how much he wanted it to.

Arms wrapped securely around her and they were creating their own little inferno now, Eric disregarding the pinpricks on his back to focus on the woman in his arms. Gentled the kiss, brought it back from something dangerous and wild to something sweet, but with no less feeling behind it. Because as much as he might want to, and even if Calleigh let him—and a pretty big if that was—he refused to have sex with her at the drop of a hat in a boat of all places.

Considering that it would end up being the one and only time—so not gonna happen. 

He slowed them down, no longer frenzied, kissing like lovers rather than just another fuck. Eric knew the difference, could feel the difference and was glad of it. ‘Cause Calleigh was never gonna be like all those other girls and he wanted it that way.

Pulled back slightly, resting against her, lips brushing over cheek and still breathing hard, heart racing. Could feel hers, too, under the hand he still had rubbing into her back, sliding just under the edge of her suit. 

Could feel it when realization hit, a little stiffening and a flush that he watched creep down her shoulders. Guessed that it might be a little bit of annoyance at herself for letting it get so out of control, and maybe a little surprise that Eric had taken that control back.

Had to with Calleigh, had to keep himself reined in because she wasn’t swayed by the same things as everyone else and it was so possible this thing was gonna stop before it ever got off the ground. Eric was walking on the edge of the knife, had been for so long, and had no idea how far he needed to go or how easy it would be to fall off.

And her surprise mollified him, he’d admit. It never hurt to rise in her esteem and he desperately needed all he could get at this point.

“Hey,” he said at last, deftly extricating his hand a running it up and down her back, soothing tense muscles.

“Yeah.” And Calleigh looked like she’d just gotten some surprising information that she didn’t know what to do with and was having a bit of a difficult time processing.

He chuckled lightly and squeezed her close, planting a sloppy, affectionate kiss on her cheek and tweaking her nose. Got a smile out of her, a shade of gratefulness around the edges, thankful that he was letting her off the hook and maybe a little bit proud.

Smiled back at her, a promise in his eyes and he wasn’t going to pretend this never happened. Dropped his hands and stepped back, bending over to retrieve her wet suit, shaking it out and handing it back to her. Watched as she smiled and took it, wrapping a towel around her waist, curling back on the bench and watching silently as they made their way back to the harbor.

He understood why captains of the past so liked female figureheads. Because there was nothing more satisfying than a beautiful woman at the bow and behind her, the open sea.

***

Fin. Feedback is adored.


End file.
